eDNA Essentials - On Demand Training - Australian Water School

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About

Take sessions at any time with unlimited access for 30 days on registration.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is transforming how we understand and monitor aquatic ecosystems, offering a powerful, non‑invasive way to detect species and assess biodiversity. This course introduces participants to the science behind eDNA and its rapidly expanding role in environmental management, conservation, and waterway assessment. Through real‑world examples, participants will see how eDNA reveals ecological patterns that traditional survey methods often miss.

This two-part course is designed for participants to learn to design effective eDNA surveys, interpret qPCR and metabarcoding outputs, and apply analytical tools such as site occupancy models, detection probabilities, and species accumulation curves.

By the end of the course, participants who are new to eDNA as well as experienced users will be able to confidently apply eDNA techniques in practical monitoring programs and deepen your understanding of aquatic biodiversity.

Details

Format	2 x 2-hour sessions + course material & resources
Cost	AUD $645.00 (INC. GST)
Contact	Group Booking: For 5 or more contact us: [email protected]
Code	OD-27-2-174
Tags	Water quality / Innovation

Register your interest: https://awschool.com.au/training/edna-essentials/

Watch the introductory webinar.

Presenters

Josh Griffiths

EnviroDNA

Josh is a wildlife ecologist and platypus expert and has worked across a variety of species, habitats, and regions. Having spent many years in the field, Josh is in a unique position to understand the... Read more

Course Overview

Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers a powerful, non‑invasive way to detect species and assess aquatic biodiversity. This two‑part course builds practical skills in survey design, qPCR and metabarcoding interpretation, and key analytical tools, giving participants confidence to apply eDNA methods in real‑world monitoring programs.

Learning Outcomes

In this course, you will be able to:

Understand the core principles of eDNA and how it is used to detect aquatic species and assess biodiversity.
Design and plan effective eDNA surveys tailored to different environments and monitoring objectives.
Interpret qPCR and metabarcoding outputs and apply analytical tools such as occupancy models and detection probabilities.
Analyse real biodiversity data, including optional results from a local waterway to explore ecological patterns and support environmental decision‑making.

Course Outline

Part 1: Achieving your Research Goals with eDNA Surveys

Introduction to eDNA.
Understand types of analysis: qPCR and metabarcoding.
Survey design principles for different outcomes with case studies.
Importance of repetition and replication.

Part 2: Navigating Uncertainty in eDNA Data

Understanding eDNA outputs from qPCR and metabarcoding analysis.
Assigning confidence to species detections.
Calculating species accumulation curves.
Occupancy modelling for spatial and temporal analysis.

Format

4+ hours of session recordings with unlimited access for 30-days.
Pre-and-post-course materials to go through via the AWS learning platform.
Additional resources to download.
Ability to ask questions to the presenters at any time through the live sessions and via the learning platform.

Pre-requisites

No experience or prior knowledge required.

Completion Certification

Participants earn CPD hours/points (i.e. with Engineers Australia) for at least 4 hours for the entire course.
On completion of the course attendees will be issued with a Certificate of Completion.

Refund Policy

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQs)